Vitamin D deficiency accelerates ageing and age-related diseases: a novel hypothesis

Abstract

Ageing can occur at different rates, but what controls this variable rate is unknown. Here I have developed a hypothesis that vitamin D may act to control the rate of ageing. The basis of this hypothesis emerged from studyng the various cellular processes that control ageing. These processes such as autophagy, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammation, oxidative stress, epigenetic changes, DNA disorders and alterations in Ca²⁺ and reactive oxygen species (ROS) signalling are all known to be regulated by vitamin D. The activity of these processes will be enhanced in individuals that are deficient in vitamin D. Not only will this increase the rate of ageing, but it will also increase the probability of developing age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and cardiovascular disease. In individual with normal vitamin D levels, these ageing-related processes will occur at lower rates resulting in a reduced rate of ageing and enhanced protection against these age-related diseases.

Keywords: DNA disorders; Vitamin D; autophagy; calcium; epigenetics; inflammation; mitochondrial dysfunction; oxidative stress; reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Figure 1. The vitamin D hypothesis of ageing

It is proposed that vitamin D acts to regulate ageing by controlling the activity of a number of the ageing processes. Vitamin D promotes the activity of autophagy, which acts to slow down the ageing processes by removing dysfunctional mitochondria. Vitamin D also acts to reduce mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, inflammation, calcium signalling, epigenetics and DNA disorders including telomere shortening, which act to drive the processes of ageing.